


Dear Charlie

by stalled



Category: Dear Charlie
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 23:00:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16649494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stalled/pseuds/stalled
Summary: Ashton Price had secrets.After his twin brother tragically commits suicide, Ashton Price has to deal with love, loss, and life as a teenager in a harsh society.





	Dear Charlie

Ashton Price had secrets.

For example, he hated football. Unlike his twin brother, Charlie, who had received a full ride to Nelson University for the sport, he simply wanted to dabble a bit in everything.

When he was seven, he used to mess with his younger sister, Elizabeth, or Elsie’s barbie dolls and cut their hair, his dream to be a hairstylist like his mother.

On their twelfth birthday, Charlie had to go to the hospital for food poisoning, and Ashton knew he wanted to become a doctor because the man in charge of Charlie was extremely attractive... But no one had to know that last part.

Yet now, he felt lost. Still, part of him was okay with the feeling. His parents didn’t force him to do anything, except play a sport that he hated. What he wasn’t okay with, however, were the societal pressures placed on men to be this dominant, assertive asshole. 

Also considering the fact that maybe Charlie was just better at football than he was; because when Ashton started showing ‘feminine’ tendencies, their parents told him to ‘man-up.’

While Ashton knew he was seventeen, and about to venture off into adulthood, he still remained a fearful teenager who just needed the direction of people who’d been where he was.

Which is probably why he sat hunched over a toilet at school, sobbing into his hands, ignoring the taste of bile lingering in his mouth. A counselor waited outside of the bathroom, having just informed him that his brother committed suicide earlier that morning.

Emotions flooded through the boy’s mind, such as ‘I wasn’t good enough to him,’ and ‘this is my fault.’

He tugged at his hair, pleading for the thoughts to stop. 

His body felt weak, and he couldn’t bring himself to stand up off of the cold, tile floor. He couldn’t manage to utter a single word, and he just wanted to open his eyes and see his brother standing there, telling him that everything would be okay.

For him, Charlie was everything. The boy was a great listener, and gave good advice to both him and Elsie. He was there for Ashton through thick and thin, and had never once doubted him. 

And while they had their bickering and quarrels, it never lasted too long and their close relationship would always return to normal by the next day.

“Ashton, your parents are coming in, okay?” The woman broke him from his thoughts, and the teen simply remained curled up in a ball. He had a dull headache, and winced at the sound of the old wooden door creaking open.

“Ashton?” He heard his mother’s nurturing voice call out. He anxiously opened the stall door, seeing their distraught faces.

“I’m so sorry, Sweetie.” The woman threw her skinny arms around the teen, sobbing into his buff shoulder. Ashton lifelessly glanced up at their father, who had a blank face as he stared down at the two.

“Can we go... Please?” Ashton mumbled, grasping her hand tightly. His father nodded, walking out without a single word.

He slowly stood up, watching as his mom grabbed his stuff. He wiped his red eyes with his sleeve, staring at the ground as the three of them left the bathroom.

He couldn’t bear to look at his friends that worriedly stood with the counselor, or even signal to them that he was okay. He could barely see through the tears still in his eyes, or hear from the memories still flooding his mind.

And this wasn’t even the worst part.

Though a source of comfort, Ashton feared returning home, he feared the sympathy and the emotions that he knew he wasn’t ready to deal with.

He feared having to comfort Charlie’s girlfriend, Kathleen, and having to sleep in the same room that Charlie... Ashton couldn’t even think of the words.

The family walked into the office, a silence falling throughout the room. Shivers crept up Ashton’s spine at the looks he received from the staff, as well as the fact that the office was freezing due to the air conditioner still being on. All that could be heard were the sniffles of Ashton, as his parents proceeded to sign him out of school.

Nearby, his friend Leon stood outside of the office, glancing in and giving the boy a sad yet reassuring look. Leon signed, ‘call me,’ and the boy nodded.

“Alright son, time to go...” His father said emotionlessly. Ashton frowned.

His father was always a quirky man, extra sweet and never really stern. His mother usually was that type of person.

However, the man’s appearance was disheveled, his suitjacket wrinkly and wet with tears. His dark brown hair was a mess, with red puffy eyes.

“Elise is at your grandparents’ house. We have to drop you off and then go down to the police station.” His father said, holding the door open for the two.

Ashton nodded, following his parents to their car. Their words went in one ear and out straight through the other. He still couldn’t fathom the fact that Charlie was gone.

And while he usually dealt with loss another way, rather than crying until it physically hurt, he didn’t know what to do now. 

He didn’t want to know what to do, because that meant accepting Charlie’s death.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys :') I'm Lani and this is my first piece of fiction on here. Sorry for the chapter not being the longest, but I'm still learning and stuff. I hope you enjoyed anddd yeah <3


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